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BDP records huge rise in profits

The UK’s second-largest practice has reported a 200 per cent rise in profits as well as steady revenue levels for the year

The news comes despite the architectural giant having recently shed 5 per cent of its 115 North West-based architects and losing its top spot in the AJ100 rankings to Atkins.

The company said that pre-tax profits had risen from last year’s £1.1 million to the current total of £3.3 million, with operating profit standing at £2.5 million.

Accountants for the firm, which employs 1,146 people across the UK, also revealed that turnover had fallen slightly from £99.5 million to £99.2 million.

Gavin Elliott, chairman of BDP’s Manchester studio, said: ‘These figures represent another good 12 months in what has clearly been a difficult year. In addition to our sound financial performance we were shortlisted for The Stirling Prize for Liverpool One, and we opened our new award winning Manchester studio.’

He added: ‘The performance of the North West studios illustrates the robustness of BDP’s business model and the resilience that comes through offering clients both excellence and diversity in what continues to be a very tough and competitive market.’

Readers' comments
(2)

Anonymous | 3-Nov-2009 1:59 pm

Let me see now.

A profit of £3.3 million divided by 115 redundant staff = Approx. £28,695, which isn't too far off the average salary for architectural workers across the board.

Given that BDP's turnover has actually reduced, one is tempted to ask their spokesperson who he thinks he is fooling with his standard line in public relations hogwash.

Here's a safe bet: When all the hooha has died down over the banks rip-off - everything will stay exactly as it is. And in ten or twenty years time there will be another banks scam and yet another PR statement by yet another firm of architects that will be little different from the tripe spouted by BDP's mouthpiece.

Why, you wonder, do we bother sending kids for a seven years architectural training when everyone knows very well they will be as expendable as they have been during the last six economic depressions and slumps.

It would be nice if enough people woke up to the fact that they are taken for a ride so regularly it would be comic if it didn't ruin so many lives and aspirations.

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